Fog tip



Oct. 15, 1963 c. couRsEY, JR 3,107,050

ENTOR (laude ourseg, Jn

States The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America -for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to spray devices using the fog method of tire fighting, and is concerned more particularly with a `fog head or tip for a hose nozzle.

It is an object of the invention to provide a nozzle tip which will produce a protective fog curtain for the entire yfront of the fireman as Well as a tire-fighting fog stream.

A further object is to provide a Ifog nozzle tip of the character referred which has no moving parts.

It is also an object to provide a fog nozzle tip affording a transparent low velocity personne-l protective fog curtain and a high velocity lire-fighting fog stream.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention will be better understood on reference to the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of 4a fog tip embodying features of the invention, shown mounted on a hose nozzle.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational View of the fog tip, taken as indicated at 2 2 in FIG. `1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the fog tip, taken as indicated at 3 3 inFIG. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is shown a fog tip 10 embodying features `of the invention and comprising a cup-like body whose 12 is at the rear thereof. The rear portion .14 or shank of the tip 10 is interrupted by a pair of lugs 16 to t in bayonet slots 17 (one shown) in a nozzle 18 of a hose 2t). A circular outwardly projecting iiange 22 `forward of the lugs 16 and preferably knurled as at 23 is adapted to abut the front of the nozzle 18, and a chai-n 24 adapted to be connected to the nozzle is brazed at one end to the ange.

Between the flange 22 and the base or front wall 28 of the tip 10 is a tubular portion or sleeve 30 having three circular V-shaped formations 32, 34 yand 36, the wells being outermost. Ihe several walls of the formations have circular series of discrete uniformly spaced ports of unitform bore. The two series of ports 38 and "40 in each formation constitute a set and are identical in number, the ports 38 being inclined forward away from the tip axis 42, and the ports 40 being oppositely inclined. Each port 38 is paired with a port 40 longitudinally of the tip 10 in the same formation, the axes of each pair of ports 38, `40 meeting each other adjacent the exits of the ports and being coplanar with the tip axis 42. The pairs of ports Iin each formation or set are circumferentially staggered relative to the pairs of ports in the other two formations or sets (FIG. l).

The tip base 28 is formed at its hub `46 with twin intersecting forwardly converging ports 48 whose axes are 45 to and coplanar with and meet at the tip axis 42 at the Ifront lface 50 of the hub, the confluence 52 of the ports having a diametrally elongated racetrack formation.

The -tip base `formation 54 beyond the hub 46 has a rearwardly diverging front face 56 and is `for-med with a set `of two complemental circular series of ports S and arent 60, each port 58 being paired with and intersecting a port 60. The axes of the ports 58 converge lforward and define a sharply acute-angled cone coaxial with the tip 10, and -the axes of the ports l60 diverge forward and define an obtuse-angled cone coaxial with the tip. The axes of each pair of ports 58 and 160 meet at the face 56 and are coplanar with the tip axis 42. The conuence 62 of each pair of ports y58 and I60 has a racetrack formation elongated along an element of the lfr-usto-conical face 56.

The ports 38 and 40 are 'of relatively small bore, on the order of one-half the diameter of the ports y48, 58 and l60. The former `are preferably on the order 'of j,/16 diameter, and the latter on the order Iof 14 diameter.

When two jets of equal size `and equal and substantial 'force meet, the resulting pattern is a fan-like fog spray in a plane which is lnormal to that defined by the axes of the jets and bisects the angle between said axes. In a nozzle tip 10 -in accordance with the invention the pairs of holes in each formation 32, 34, 36 and 54 are circumferentially spaced and .arranged to prov-ide a circumferential series of fan-like sprays which blend into a circumferentially continuous sheet or curtain of fog emanating adjacent the outer surface of :the tip. The arrangement of ports 38, 40 in 4the form-ations 32 and 3'4 results in -two transparent )fog curtains, indicated in par-t at 66 and `68 (FIG. l), normal to the tip axis '42. The arrangement of ports 38, 40 lin the formation 36 resul-ts in a transparent obtuseangled forWardly-diverging lconical fog curtain indicated in part at 70. The arrangement of ports 58, 60 in the base formation 54 results in an acute-angled forwardly diverging fog cone indicated in part at 72.

The twin ports 48 provide a lforwardly-directed ianiike fog sheet, indicated in part at 74, containing the tip axis 42 and blending with diametrically opposite portions of the fog cone 72.

The ports 38 and 40 being of substantially smaller bore than the ports 48, 50, 58 and 60, the jets producing the 'fog curtains `66, 68 and 70 are of low velocity and the jets producing Ithe fog cone 72 and the fog sheet 76 are of high velocity and powerful. The several fog curtains protect the entire Vfronts yof the persons behind them from the heat of the re which is not directly in front of the tire-fighting fog streams 72 and 74. lf desired, one or two of the curtains may be omitted. The curtains, being transparent, do not `obstruct the view of the nozzle wielder or operator.

With but one set of ports 38, 40, fairly satisfactory performance would be :obtained if the water were maintained at a high pressure such as to cause the fog fan jets -to meet without excessive force and thereby provide a scalloped peripherally continuously protective and transparent fog curtain. Relying on the one set, it is apparent that if the water pressure Iwere to drop to such an extent that the -fan jets did not meet at all, or insuiciently, the iireman wielding the nozzle would not be protected at the areas alternating with the fan jets. If the number of ports in the one set were increased to such an extent that the resulting jets were suiciently numerous to insure obtaining a peripherally continuous curtain at low as well as high Water pressures, the tip might be excessively weakened and the fan jets at fthe high Water pressure might meet with such lforce as to produce so much turbulence at to render the meeting regions difficult or irnpossible to see through Iand thus povide a curtain which, though peripherally continuous, might have alternating regions of transparency and relative opacity, to the detriment of the iiremans view of the iire. To avoid weakening the tip, and to insure complete protection of the fireman from -the heat of and a fu-ll view tof the tire in the event of low water pressure, and, in the case of a high water pressure, to avoid producing a curtain which, although fully protecting the fireman, interferes with his vision of portions of the tire, at least one additional set of ports 38, 40, spaced longitudinally of the tip relative to the other set, and staggered circumferentially relative to the other set, is provided. Should the water pressure drop tosuch an extent that the fan jets of each set do not meet, the fan jets of one set will block the heat which would otherwise pass between the tan jets of the other set, and thus the two sets `of lfan jets will cumulatively constitute in effect, ie., from the `standpoint for the fireman, a peripherally continuous and transparent fog curtain or barrier fully protecting the reman from the tire heat and leaving him an unobstructed View of the re. In the case of water pressure high enough to enable any one set of ports 3S, 40, to provide a `fog rcurtain which is circumferentially transparent and continuous, the curtain will have a scalloped appearance at its outer periphery. With the same -water pressure, a second set of ports 38, 40, oircumferentially staggered relative to the rst set, as shown, will produce a similarly scalloped curtain, but the bulging portions of each curtain will block the heat which would otherwise pass through the V-like spaces alternating with the bulges of lthe other curtain. Thus, even -when the Water is at high pressure, there is an advantage in providing `circum-fereritia-lly staggered sets of ports.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specically described.

I claim:

1. In a fire lighting water nozzle fog tip:

an integral body having a front end portion and a sleeve portion;

the sleeve having a series of laterally spaced circumlferentia'lly staggered pairs of ports arranged to convert a part lof the incoming water into a-t least one, eiectively continuous, transparent fog curtain substantially normal to the sleeve portion and rearwandly of the front end fportion;

said 'front end pontion defining a generally frustroyconical shape including a base land a front face rearwardly diverging therefrom;

a pair of forwardly converging ports centrally continent in said base adapted to convert a part of the incom ing water into a ln'gh velocity tire-ghting tog stream;

a plurality of pairs of ports positioned in said front tace and adapted to convert a part of the lincoming water into a forwardly directed, lire-fighting, fog cone;

said `front face ports being oircumferentialrly staggered relative to the nearest adjacent series of pairs of ports in the sleeve portion;

the pairs oi' ports in the front -face being radially spaced relative to the confluent pair of base ports; and

the pairs 'of ports in `the front end piontion having `a diameter relative to the pairs of ponts in the sleeve por-V tion on the 'order of two to one.

2. The structure =of claim 1 wherein leach of the ports of the pairs of ports in .the sleeve portion has a Idiameter' on the order of 3,46 inch and each of the ports of the pairs of ports in the front end portion has a diameter on the order of ls inch.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 943,892 Reed Dec. 21, 1909 2,235,258 Jones Mar. 18, 1941 2,323,464 Glessner July 6, 1943 2,359,455 Williamson Oct. 3, 1944 Y 2,647,800 -Burnam et al A-ug. 4, 1955 2,812,213 Bede Nov. 5, 1957 2,993,650 Badberg July 25, 1961 3,001,533A Holdren Sept. 26, 1961 3,035,777 -Bodell et al May 22, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,371 Great Britain June 29, 1896 

1. IN A FIRE FIGHTING WATER NOZZLE FOR TIP: AN INTEGRAL BODY HAVING A FRONT END PORTION AND A SLEEVE PORTIONS; THE SLEEVE HAVING A SERIES OF LATERALLY SPACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY STAGGERED PAIRS OF PORTS ARRANGED TO CONVERT A PART OF THE INCOMING WATER INTO AT LEAST ONE, EFFECTIVELY CONTINUOUS, TRANSPARENT FOG CURTAIN SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE SLEEVE PORTION AND REARWARDLY OF THE FRONT END PORTION; SAID FRONT END PORTION DEFINING A GENERALLY FRUSTROCONICAL SHAPE INCLUDING A BASE AND A FRONT FACE REARWARDLY DIVERGING THEREFROM; A PAIR OF FORWARDLY CONVERGING PORTS CENTRALLY CONFLUENT IN SAID BASE ADAPTED TO CONVERT A PART OF THE INCOMING WATER INTO A HIGH VELOCITY FIRE-FIGHTING FOG STREAM; A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF PORTS POSITIONED IN SAID FRONT FACE AND ADAPTED TO CONVERT A PART OF THE INCOMING WATER INTO A FORWARDLY DIRECTED, FIRE-FIGHTING, FOG CONE; SAID FRONT FACE PORTS BEING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY STAGGERED 